Salt Water V8 Rebuild

Hello, fellow Audi R8 owners and enthusiasts! My name is Jeremy and I live in central Illinois. I just (Thanksgiving 2022) purchased a salt-water flooded Audi R8, from Copart, after Hurricane Ian. My goal is to restore it slowly and keep it for many years. I am starting this post to network with you “regular” R8 owners, and perhaps a few other ambitious folks who bought one of these, for there were/are several available.
I hope to log here with words and pictures as much as I am able, so bear with me.

Specs: 2008, V8, gated manual with less than 30,000 miles (maybe less than 25k).

Major Damage:

• Salt! (Yes, into the manifold intake boots of the engine, at least!)
• Flooded to the roof
• Interior components, electrical
• Windshield cracked
• Minor cosmetic external and undercarriage damage (see video)
• Broken off water pump
• Hole in sump cover (the “oil pan”)

Minor Damage:

• Too much blinker fluid
• Smell (mostly under control)
• External bodywork, rear right taillight cover broken

Accomplished so far:

• Seats out with no battery power (that was tedious, to say the least… I might detail in a later post)
• Some interior pulled

Future Concerns:

• Electrical components (I already purchased a nice used wiring harness, but…I’m color-blind!)
• Engine (long list of things, more on that as we dig in)
• “Burn-out” by an overwhelming list of tasks

Assets

• Frame, drive train, wheels, etc. are straight
• Brakes work (after a little pumping)
• Doors, engine bay, and frunk open and close VERY cleanly! Well… the frunk release… well, anyway, as good as can be expected.
• Ahhh, did I mention… it is a manual! (I don’t know how guys get flood-cars off trailers when they are automatics locked in park, but would love to hear if/how you can.)
• Ebay, R8talk for parts
• A great network of folks on R8talk!

My qualifications:

• Mechanically inclined (sometimes reclined )
• General working knowledge of basic components
• Not afraid to work, or get my hands dirty
• Not in a hurry!
• Rebuilt a few motorcycles (race and street)
• Have some tools, small heated garage
• I have an excited wife concerning the project (she likes seeing the R8 in our garage )

My crazy goals:

• Making the R8 as analog as possible (I hope to remove many “bells and whistles”, if possible.)
• Starting a video series to tie in vehicle restoration with the Gospel of Jesus’ redemption of mankind.

Advice given me thus far:

• “I would advise against it.” (direct words of the Copart broker!)
• “Don’t do it, it will grenade in six months.” (friend who knows the business of cars)
• “I have Audi-tech friends that have the garage, tools and experience, and even THEY wouldn’t attempt such a feat!” (motorcycle racer friend)
• “Wow, that’s a big project, if anyone can do it, you can…”
• “The two best days of your life, the day you bought the boat, and the day you sold the boat.”
• “If you have the time, you’ll get it done…”
• “If you can dream it, you can build it.” Requote I heard from Burt Rutan.

Jeremy
Christian, husband, father, Gospel preacher, machinist, author… and now Audi R8 owner… and restorer